Music copying typewriter mechanism



[- RABINOWITZ 2,784,828

March 12, 1957 MUSIC COPYING TYPEWRITER MECHANISM Filed Feb. 23, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet l N INVENTOR lmw/v 9A a/zvow/rz M LF Z N ATTORNEY March 12, 1957 RABINOWITZ- 2,784,323

MUSIC comma TYPEWRITER MECHANISM Filed Feb. 23, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY March 12, 1957 l. RABINOWITZ musxc COPYING TYPEWRITER MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 23, 1956 ll ILA! I1 III/I W W O 1 MM 1 Q P Wm y \QV mkfi ATTORNEY I. RABINOWITZ MUSIC COPYING TYPEWRITER MECHANISM March 12, 1957 4 Sheei-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 25, 71956 L .m. I

L IIII n m IIII Hi ATTORNEY United States Patent MUSIC COPYING TYPEWRITER MECHANISM Irwin Rabinowitz, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application February 23, 1956, Serial No. 567,176 Claims. 01. 197-s This invention relates to improvements in typewriters which are adapted for typing complete musical scores, including all the music notes and symbols, upon a sheet of paper having a previously typed or printed musical staff thereon.

My invention may be applied to or incorporated in any of the previously known music typewriters having the usual frame, laterally shiftable carriage having a fiat vertically disposed platen suitably mounted thereon, a vertically shiftable type basket having the various type bars pivotally mounted thereon, and a keyboard comprising the various keys by which the type bars are actuated. Specifically my invention relates to the mechanism for raising and lowering the type basket with respect to the platen whereby the music notes and symbols may be accurately typed in proper position on a staff previously printed or typed on a sheet of paper which has been inserted in the typewriter and extends upwardly in front of the platen.

The principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved mechanism for accurately adjusting the position of a vertically shiftable type basket with respect to a staff on a sheet of paper supported by and in front of a vertically disposed flat platen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the aforesaid character having incorporated therein an elongated actuating lever which is adapted to be moved back and forth longitudinally of the typewriter to effect movement of the type basket.

Another object of the invention is to provide means by which the setting of the aforesaid actuating lever for typing a selected musical symbol may be accurately gauged.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in connection. with the aforesaid actuating lever, a scale which is graduated in accordance with the various notes in each octave between treble and bass positions on the staff, and by means of which the actuating lever and through it the type basket may be properly set to type any desired note in the correct position with respect to the staff.

Other and more limited objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a typewriter for typing complete musical scores and having my improved actuating mechanism incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section through the typewriter shown in Fig. 1 the plane of the section being indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and 9 Fig. 5 is a plan view of a scale, graduated according to the successive notes between treble and bass, in combination with a diagram showing where any note on the scale will be typed on the staff when the actuating lever has been moved to bring that note into register with a fixed index pointer.

In the drawings only such standard parts of a conventional music typewriter are shown as are necessary to illustrate the construction and operation of my improved actuating mechanism and the manner in which it is incorporated in a typewriter.

Referring now to the drawings by reference characters the numeral 1 indicates generally a typewriter adapted for typing musical notes and symbols upon a stafi which has been previously either typed upon a sheet of paper with the typewriter or has been printed upon the sheet of paper before it is inserted into the typewriter. The typewriter 1 comprises the usual framework 2 having the transversely extending carriage supporting rail 3 which is permanently secured to and between the sides 4 of the frame 1. A carriage of standard construction which is generally indicated by the numeral 5 is slidably mounted upon the rail 3 for back and forth transverse movement thereon with respect to the frame 2. The carriage 5 comprises the side plates 6 between which extends a mounting bar 7 by means of which the carriage is mounted upon the rail 3 with the anti-friction balls 8 disposed between the rail 3 and bar 7. The carriage 5 is adapted to be moved step by step in one direction on the rail 3 by the usual spring mechanism, not shown, and to be manually moved back to initial position. The step by step movement of the carriage is controlled by the standard type escapement mechanism shown at 9 which in turn is controlled by the spacer bar 10 secured to the outer ends of a pair of levers 11 which are pivotally mounted upon a rod 12 secured to and extending between the sides 4 of the frame 1. The levers 11 are rigidly tied together adjacent the pivoted ends thereof by a connecting rod 13, and are operatively connected to the escapement mechanism 9 by the crank lever 14 and the link 15. Each depression of the spacer bar 10 effects, through the escapement mechanism 9, movement of the carriage 5 one step. A vertically disposed flat platen 16 is mounted upon the carriage 5 and extends between the sides 6 thereof adjacent the forward upper end thereof. The platen 16 which is preferably made of wood is provided with a fiber or plastic facing 17 against which the typing heads are adapted to strike. The carriage 5 is also provided with the usual rest 18 over which a sheet of paper 19 is fed into the carriage 5 upwardly in front of and then rearwardly over the platen 16 by means of a manually rotatable feed roller 20 and the cooperating idler rollers 21. Knobs 22 are provided for rotating the feed roller 20. Rollers 23 which are suitably secured to the carriage 5 .and are adapted to roll upon a transversely extending bar 24 secured to the frame 2 parallel to the rail 3 are provided to maintain the carriage 5 in proper position upon the rail 3 with respect to the various other component parts of the typewriter 1.

A plurality of type bar 25 having the typing heads 26 secured to the free ends thereof are pivotally secured to a type basket 27 as shown at 28. The typing heads 26 have the various notes, symbols and characters used in writing musical scores formed thereon. For each type bar 25 there is a corresponding key bar 29 and key 30 by which the type bars are actuated. The key bars 29 are pivotally mounted upon the rod 12 and the keys 30 are secured to the free ends of the key bars 29. The key bars 29 are operatively connected to the type bars 25 by means of the levers 31 and 32, which are pivotally mounted upon the transverse shafts 33 and 34, respectively, and

the links 35, 36 and 37. The links 35 connect the key bars 29 to the levers 31, the links 36 connect thefreeends of the levers 31 to the levers 32, and the links 37 connect the free ends of the levers 32 to the type bars 25. Each depression of a key 30 will actuate the corresponding type bar to swing the typing head 26 carried thereby up into engagement with the facing 17 on the platen 16. Each key 30 has a music note or symbol printed thereon which corresponds to the note or symbol carried by the type 'bar adapted to be actuated by that key. When in inoperative position the typing heads 26 rest on an arcuate supporting member 38 which is rigidly secured to the type basket 27 for movement therewith by a pair of arms 39. The type basket 27 also carries the conventional ribbon carrier 40 for the ribbon 41, and the usual type guide 42. The ribbon 41 is fed from a spool 43 by conventional mechanism not shown.

The type basket 27 has formed integrally therewith a pair of slides '45, one on each side thereof, which are slidably mounted in vertical guideways 46 formed in inwardly extending bosses 47 cast integrally with or otherwise secured to the inner faces of the sides 4 of the frame 2. The slides carry downwardly extending rods 48 which extend through apertures 49 in lugs 50 projecting inwardly from the sides 4. These rods 48 are provided with nuts 51 and springs 52 by which the movement of the basket 27 in either direction is limited.

The typewriter for typing complete musical scores thus far described is of prior known construction and per se forms no part of my invention.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the type basket and accurately gauging the position thereof, with respect to the platen 16, for typing a selected symbol on the sheet of paper 19 in correct position with respect to the musical staff 53 marked thereon, and which mechanism constitutes the subject matter of my invention, will now be described.

This mechanism comprises a rotatably mounted transverse shaft 55 having a pair of relatively short forwardly extending arms 56 rigidly secured thereon. The free ends of the arms 56 are connected to the basket slides 45 by a pair of links 57, one end of each link being pivotally connected to an arm 56 as shown at 58 and the other end thereof being pivotally connected to a slide 45 as shown at 59. A relatively long arm 60, as compared to the arms 56, is rigidly secured on the shaft 55 between the arms 56 and extends substantially vertically downwardly from the shaft 55. The lower end of the arm 60 is pivotally connected, as shown at 61, to the inner end of a substantially horizontally disposed actuating lever 62. The lever 62 is located in the lower section .of the frame 2,, longitudinally thereof, and extends out beyond the front 63 of the frame 2. The outer section of the lever 62 is slidably supported, between flanged spacers 64, by a shaft 65 carried by brackets 66 secured to the front 63 of the frame 2. The outer end of the lever 62 is provided with a knob 67 by which the lever 62 may be manually moved inwardly and outwardly with respect to the frame 2 upon the shaft 65, and springs connected to the arms 56 are provided to counterbalance the type basket 27 as it is moved from one position to another.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that inward movement of the actuating lever 62 with respect to the frame 2 will lower the basket 27 and type bars 25 carried thereby, and that outward movement of the lever 62 will raise the basket 27, the distance the basket is raised or lowered being dependent upon the length of movement of the lever 62 inwardly or outwardly. It will also be apparent that the position .of the basket 27 with respect to the platen 16 will determine the position a selected symbol will be typed on the sheet 19 with respect to .the staff 53 marked thereon.

In order that the actuating lever 62 may be quickly and accurately set in the proper position for typing a selected symbol on the sheet 19 in correct position with respect to the stalf *53 thereon I provide visual indicating means which cooperate with the lever '62 to indicate the proper position of the lever '62 for typing any selected symbol. This indicating means comprises a scale 68, which is carried bythe lever 62, and a cooperating index pointer 69 which is secured to the front 63 of the frame 2 in operative relation to the scale 63. The scale 68 is graduated according to the various notes of the octaves between treble and bass. The moving of the actuating lever 62 to bring a selected note on the scale 68 into register with the index pointer 69 will move the type basket and with it the type bar 25 for that note into the proper vertical position with respect to the platen 16 and the sheet 19 carried by the platen for that note to be typed on the sheet 19 .in the correct position with respect to the staff 53 marked thereon.

Referring to Fig. '5 wherein this action is diagrammatically illustrated let us assume that it is desired to type a character in the G line at 71 on the scale 68. The lever 62 is moved inwardly, until the index pointer 69, registers with the 1G line which will lower the basket 27 with respect to the platen 16, and this character will be typed at 72 when the type bar 25 therefor is actuated by depressing the key 30 having this character marked thereon. And if it is desired to type a character in the A l ne at 73 on the scale 68, the lever 62 is moved outwardly until the index ointer 69 registers with the A line which will raise the type basket 27 with respect to the platen 16 so that this character will be typed in the position 74 on the sheet 19. The lines 75 on Fig. 5 indicate the positions at which the characters on the various other lines will be brought in register with the index pointer 69.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that I have provided a very simple and eiiicient mechanism for accomplishing the objects of my invention.

It is to be understood that I am not limited to the specific construction shown and described herein as various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1.. A typewriter for typing a complete musical score comprising a main frame, a transversely shiftable carriage mounted on said frame, a platen having a flat vertically disposed face mounted on said carriage, said platen being adapted to support a sheet of paper having a musical staff thereon, a type basket slidably mounted in said frame for vertical movement with respect to said platen, type bars pivotally mounted on said type basket for movement towards and away from said platen, said type bars being provided with typing heads carrying musical symbols for typing on a sheet of paper on said platen when said type bars are actuated, means by which said type bars are actuated and mechanism by which said type basket and the type bars mounted thereon are raised and lowered with respect to said platen whereby a selected musical symbol may be typed :on the said sheet of paper in proper positionwith respect to a musical staff marked thereon; said mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft having .a pair {of outwardly extending arms rigidly connected thereto, a pair of links pivotally connecting said arms to said type basket, and rotating means by which said shaft is rotated; said rotating means comprising a downwardly extending arm rigidly secured to said shaft, a substantially horizontally disposed actuating lever which is slidably mounted in said frame perpendicular to the axis of said shaft, and a pivotal connection between the lower end of said downwardly extending arm and the inner end of said actuating lever.

2. A typewriter for typing a complete musical score as defined in claim 1 in which visual indicating means is provided which cooperates with said actuating lever to indicate the proper position of said lever for typing any selected symbol.

3. A typewriter for typing a complete musical score as definedin claim 2'in'which said visualindicating means comprises a scale carried by said actuating lever and a cooperating index pointer secured to said frame.

4. A typewriter for typing a complete musical score which the correct position of said type basket with re as defined in claim 3 in which said scale is graduated in spect to said platen for typing any selected symbol may accordance with the notes of the octaves between treble be accurately determined. and bass. 7

5. A typewriter for typing a complete musical score 5 7 N0 references e as defined by claim 1 in which means are provided by 

